Jackson County IL Archives News.....MURPHYSBORO'S EARLY HISTORY WRITTEN IN '77 October 16, 1923 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Karima Allison quest@insightbb.com July 9, 2006, 3:37 am Murphysboro Daily Independent October 16, 1923 Murphysboro was laid out originally on a twenty-acre lot, which is nearly identical with that described as the east half of the south-west quarter of section four, town nine south, range two west, of the third principal meridian and which was donated for the purpose of founding the village government, by John LOGAN, father of ex-Senator John A. LOGAN, of Illinois. The village was named in honor of William C. MURPHY, who was one of the commissioners in selecting the site, and who labored for favors in the State Legislature. Murphysboro became the county seat in the year 1843; Brownsville, the former county seat, having been deserted from its want of facilities, and its distance from the center of the County. Murphysboro was chosen because it was near to the center of the county, of a more healthful situation than the former town, and the fact that it could be more easily approached from all directions. In those early times when bridges were less often found than now, Big Muddy River was quite an item in the transportation of goods and people, and the presence of two shoals in close proximity to the center of the town may be said to have influenced the commissioners in selecting the location. The Court House at Brownsville was burned in 1843, and was in the following year rebuilt, in Murphysboro, which place has been the capital since then. It was built upon a lot occupying the centre of the tract donated by Dr. Logan. The centre of this square is the centre of the present city incorporation. There was also built on the same square a jail, of wood, which was used as the county prison until the latter part of 1864 or the early part of 1865. At the March term of the County Court in 1864, the sum of $15,000 was bonded for the purpose of building a jail. This amount was paid for the present building, situated on Main Street, one block south of the court house. The town continued under village government until 1867, when it was of such a population as to warrant a charter as an incorporated city. Accordingly it was organized under a special act of the Legislature of 1867, but the instrument was one of so many faults as to be almost useless. This instrument fixed the boundaries as follow, viz: "A tract of land one and one half miles square, the centre of the present Court House square to be the centre of said tract; provided that this shall not include any land south of the Big Muddy River." This provision, excepting land on the south side of Big Muddy was made through the influence of the Mt. Carbon Coal and Railroad Company, whose works are mostly situated in the tract excepted. The taxes of a young city were what this company objected to. The incorporation is situated on a part of section three, four, five, eight and nine of town nine, south, range two west, of the third principal meridian, and part of sections thirty-two, thirty-three and thirty-four of town eight, south, range two west, in Jackson County; being about one hundred and seventy miles south of Springfield, and fifteen mile east of the Mississippi River. The whole of the incorporation is not laid out as yet in blocks and streets; but since the original plat was made many additions have been made. In these additions great irregularity has been allowed, and now many streets are seen to stop directly in front of dwellings in several parts of the city. It is a fact, maps of the city until late years have shown one street with neither outlet not inlet. Under the provisions of the charter, the first City Council was elected in 1867. Michael F. SWORTSCOPE was elected Mayor, but declined to serve, in consequence of which John FORD was elected. The following gentlemen composed the Board of Alderman: Hugh CRAWFORD, John F. COVER, Conrad SCHRODT, and William H. LOGAN. Vice Adam BRYDEN declined to serve. The other officers were: City Clerk, Charles W. SCHIRMER; City Treasurer, Thomas M. LOGAN; City Attorney J. Banks MAYHAM; Police Magistrate, John M. HANSON. The following gentlemen were afterwards chosen Mayor, viz: In 1868, Frederic C. BIERER; in 1869 and 1870, Israel BLANCHARD; in 1871 Martin A. ROSE; in 1872 Hugh CRAWFORD; in 1873 Thomas F. HORD; in 1874, John B. MAYHAM; in 1875 Martin A. ROSS; in 1876 and 1877, John M., GILL, the present incumbent. The Board of Alderman comprises Messrs. H. H. FOX, G. H. C. BODEKER, M. A. ROSS, Wm. A. SAYLOR, Benj. SPEITH and O. L. MAHONEY. Police Magistrate, W. S. MURPHY; City Attorney, J. BRETT; Marshall, J. FITGERALD; Street Commissioner, Medar LUCIER. Around Murphysboro, are distributed quite a number of smaller towns, mostly inhabited by the employees of the pubic works. Mount Carbon, on the southside of Big Muddy, is composed of numerous collections of houses, known by the local names of "White Row, " "Brown Row," "Smoky Row," "Fiddlers Row," etc. which have been given them by reason of some peculiarity of locality or color of houses. The Gartside mines and the Lewis mines and coke ovens have collected in their immediate vicinity a number of tenement houses for the occupancy of their workmen. These last are mostly on the line of the Cairo and St. Louis Narrow Guage Railroad. In the year 1875 the city was, by vote of the people, organized under the General Incorporation Law, with the same boundaries as under the charter. The city was then divided into three wards to be represented by two aldermen each, whereas before there had been but four, thus making six. An ordinance was then adopted limiting the building of frame houses above a certain size in any of the blocks adjacent to the Court House square, and as a consequence a look a stability and beauty is gradually growing upon this portion of the city. On the lots adjacent to the square are the brick houses of Messrs. DESBERGER, WILLIS, ANDREWS, GILL, KENT, PALMER, KING, KENNEDY, LOGAN, CRAWFORD, HORD, RODGERS, W. S. MURPHY and H. H. FOX, together with the County Prison, for which so much was paid. By judicious legislation they have been weeding out, so to speak, the tumble down structures which for so long a time disgraced the streets and jeopardized the safety of life and property. In the year 1810 coal was first mined in the vicinity of Murphysboro, on the south side of the Big Muddy. The coal thus mined was shipped to New Orleans in flat-boats. From that time to the present, public works of one kind of another have been in constant operation in and around Murphysboro. In 1822 Governor Joseph DUNCAN loaded several boat loads of coal for the market at New Orleans. For a long time coal mining was the only pubic industry, of whatever kind, carried on within the region around Murphysboro, although salt was manufactured from the saline springs at Brownsville, only five miles distant. The Jackson County Coal Company operated in this section for many years, carrying the coal from the drift at Murphysboro, on the south side of Muddy, to a point on this river below the "fish-trap" shoal, where now the Narrow Guage railroad crosses, in small cars, on a sort of tramway. This company continued operations until early in the 1864, at which time the Grand Tower Mining, Manufacturing and Transportation Company began work by purchasing from the older company their works and lands. This company has ever since been in successful operation although at one time it was virtually bankrupted by reason of a failure in a coal contract, caused by a strike of their coal miners, in 1870. This event is spoken of by people generally as the "great strike." It was an event long to be remembered by everyone who was in Murphysboro at the time--the troublesome time with the "black-legs," the terror of those who were so called. During this time the police courts were rarely out of work. A railroad twenty five miles in length was built by this company, extending from Carbondale, on the line of the Illinois Central Railroad, through Mt. Carbon, built up on the south side of Muddy, at Murphysboro, to Grand Tower, on the Mississippi River. Along the line of the railroad at this point they sunk three coal shafts, and supplied them with the necessary machinery for hoisting, etc., besides continuing to work the drift of the Jackson County Company spoken of before. One of these shafts has since been burned, but not till after an underground connection had been formed with each of the other two, by means of which coal could be taken from the one burned. The first train over the road, after its completion, was in 1867, drawn by the engine "Logan," and in charge of Peter M. POST, conductor. In prosperous times this company has in its employ constantly from one thousand to twelve hundred men at the works in Mt. Carbon. This company also built at Mt. Carbon a sawmill, which was burned, and rebuilt soon after. Afterwards were built a machine shop, a car shop, a foundry, an engine house, and turn table. The car shop was burned, and has never been rebuilt. The machine shop and foundry are each in successful operation, doing all the new work and repairing for the various departments of the works. They built a railroad depot and store-room, which has been burned, and since have been built separate buildings near the former site. The Cairo and St. Louis Narrow Gauge Railroad passes through the western part of the town, and along the line of this road have been built numerous houses, where before were corn fields. It was completed from St. Louis to Murphysboro in the year 1873, but from Cairo to the point it was not completed until the year 1875. This road, although on an unsound basis financially, is nevertheless quite useful, in that it materially increases the convenience of the communicating with the outer world. The freight tariff is quite an item with the people of Murphysboro, and it has materially decreased the same. The coal resources north of Muddy have been developed by its influence. The attention of capitalists was early called to the vast coal deposits in Jackson county and especially around Murphysboro, as being the best and most marketable coal in the West. After the building of the Cairo and St. Louis Narrow Gauge became a certainty, great tracts of lands were either purchased or leased by these capitalists for the purpose of taking coal therefrom. This coal was to be shipped to the St. Louis market by way of this railroad. The Gartside Coal Company purchased the coal under many acres of land north of Murphysboro, the owners reserving the surface for purposes of agriculture. Other tracts were purchased outright by this company. Among the line of the railroad it erected four shafts, supplied with engines and the necessary appurtenances for hoisting, all of which are within two miles of Murphysboro. To one of these, No. 2, is attached a saw-mill, with which is manufactured lumber sufficient for all the building of the company, either the necessary shops, etc., or the tenement houses which have been built for the accommodation of the employees. Two of the four shafts built are suffered to lie idle for want for market for the products. The two worked are however, capable of producing three thousand tons of coal per week. When doing full work they make work for seven hundred men. The Lewis Coal Company has purchased both land and coal in great quantities farther north than the Gartside, and have sunk one shaft on the farm of Mr. Samuel BOUSCHER, two miles north of Murphysboro. This shaft makes work for four hundred hands, and is capable of loading in the railroad cars two thousand tons of coal per week. A Coke Company has been established during the past winter of 1876 and has built ovens near the shaft of the Lewis Company, and proposes to convert the otherwise unsaleable "slack" into coke. These works employ numerous hands, and have caused the building of a respectable village near the scene of the daily labor of the occupants. The Mount Carbon mines are capable of producing six thousand tons per week, Gartside six thousand, and Lewis two thousand, making the enormous amount of fourteen thousand tons of coal per week, which might be sent out from this point with the present facilities, which might be increased if there was a demand equal to the supply. The amount of general merchandise which is necessarily consumed by these laborers in such works, and the quantities of produce usually interchanged for supplies by an agricultural community like that which surrounds Murphysboro on every side, is very great. Consequently many stores are indispensable to the general welfare, and this accounts for the many merchants in the town. Murphysboro, like other villages from any other great thoroughfare, was possessed of primitive customs and people. The stores are few, and not by any means wealthy. Every storekeeper was obliged to keep in stock a little or almost every sort of merchandise. As the town grew, so grew the stores; but the merchants find it very hard to sell out one part of his business without selling all of it. Many of the first merchants in the town are here and in business yet; and each store which has been of later origin has found it necessary in order to gain trade, to introduce a mixed stock, consequently the stores of Murphysboro are very much on the order of the medley. There are at present doing business in the city no less than nineteen stores in which groceries form a portion of the stock. Of these, nine have for sale more or less dry goods, and five of these have a department of clothing, and all keep boots and shoes. Of the nineteen, eleven keep tinware, while only two of them are hardware stores, and these are also furniture and general house-furnishing stores. Four drygoods stores, three of which keep stationery and books, are in business in the city at present. Five butcher's shops, six shoe shops, one harness shop, one tailor shop, one cigar factory, two tin shops, one watch and jewelry shop, six smith shops, one planing mill, one foundry, sixteen saloons and five restaurants, together with a wholesale liquor establishment and three millinery stores, make up the business portion of the town. Besides these, there are two mills, and a foundry which deserve notice. One of these owned by Messrs. YANTIS and COVEY, is located in the south part of the city, near Big Muddy. This mill was built in the year 1854, and has been running ever since, this being the oldest mill, except one within the borders of Jackson County. The improved machinery and workings of the mill, and it is now capable of producing seven hundred barrels of flour per week. The other, owned by Messrs. GILL and FORD, is located in the north-west part of the city. This mill is nearly new, and is situated where was formerly one burned down, owned by Mr. J. M. GILL, one of the present proprietors. A planing mill and general wood working establishment, is located near the last named mill, and is owned and operated by Mr. H. S. McELHOSE. Messrs. James and Walter ALEXANDER, practical machinists, have erected, on the line of the Cairo and St. Louis Railroad, in the southwest part of town, a machine shop and foundry. They are prepared to do all kinds of casting and machine work. Some of the largest and most beautiful of the builder's iron work used in the city has been manufactured at their foundry, some years ago. Two brick-yards are now in operation and manufacture all the brick used in the building of the city, and many thousands are shipped by way of the Narrow Gauge R. R. to foreign points. Two wagon and carriage shops and four general blacksmith shops are kept busy by the farmers and the citizens in the repair of their implements and the manufacture of new work. In September, 1875, the Methodist Episcopal Church building was dedicated. This building was the first, and for a long time, the only church edifice in the town. It is located one square west of the southwest corner of the Curt-house Square; is a frame building, one story high, and about forty by sixty feet on the inside. The M. E. society also owns a parsonage, which is located in Logan's last addition to the city, directly on the west end of Manning street. The Presbyterians attempted the construction of a church building many years ago, but failed in the attempt. They went as far as to enclose a two-story frame building which was afterwards abandoned and used as a shelter by all the hogs, cattle, horses, etc., in the neighborhood, which were allowed to run at large, while windows were used as targets for the boys to practice the art of throwing stones. The building was finally purchased by a gentlemen and transformed into an opera house in the upper story and a dramshop below. It is now used only as the headquarters of the Egyptian fire company, and as a place for keeping their hook and ladder apparatus. The Baptist afterward built a church near the northwest corner of the square now used as a butcher's shop. The Roman Catholic Church was next built. This society built a one story frame house in the southeast part of town. They also built a dwelling house for the occupancy of their priest. Afterward they erected a commodious schoolhouse, one story, and well lighted by large windows. These three buildings are all situated on the same plat of ground. The First Evangelical Lutheran Church is situated about the middle of Short street, on the south side. It is a brick structure, the largest church building in town. The Episcopal Methodist denomination next built a church of brick, one story northwest of the square and was unable to pay for it. It was afterward sold under Deed for Trust, and is at present rented by various denominations as a place of worship. The Lutheran, Methodist Episcopal and Roman Catholic societies each support a stationed minister. The German Evangelical Church have no building, but a minister supports himself by preaching to the German citizens on Sunday and teaching a school for their children during the week. Ever since the County was organized, there has been public schools at Murphysboro. For a long time school was taught in a log house near where the south end of Broad street now is. Dr. Cyrus THOMAS, of the Southern Illinois Normal University, formerly taught school in the town. Afterward a frame structure near the end of Main street was built and occupied until 1867 when the present building of brick was built and equipped for school purposes. The building has a capacity for five hundred students, and is at all times filled. The colored children are furnished with a teacher in a building near the Big Muddy. The teachers in the public school number six, one principal, and five assistants. The Catholic Church has built a school house and employed a teacher. About one hundred children attend this school as students. The Egyptian Hook and Ladder Fire Company have been lately furnished with appurtenances for a hook and ladder company, with their headquarters on Cherry street near the county jail. The Murphysboro Silver Cornet Band was organized some months ago, and are prepared to discourse music and all other wonderful things usually done by bands. The German citizens have purchased a piece of ground in the north part of the city and have organized a Turner's Association. They have prepared a park and spend their leisure time in amusing themselves there. The Jackson County Agricultural Board own a fair ground just north of the city, and hold their annual fairs and meetings on these grounds. Odd Fellows and Masons each have a hall where they hold meetings regularly. Additional Comments: Transcribed by Mary Riseling from her grandfather, Dr. C. E. Riseling's collection of old newspapers. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/jackson/newspapers/murphysb22nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 20.5 Kb